Abstract:
The article is dedicated to the research of Jewish population conditions in southern towns
of Ukraine during the end of the XVIII – beginning of the XX centuries. Jewish population
constituted a substantial part of southern towns’ population during the studied period. That is
why the participation of the Jews in cultural, national and municipal life of southern Ukrainian
towns is analyzed. Employment of the Jews in towns is characterized, too. The South of
Ukraine from a legal point of view of the Russian Empire was marked as a limit for Jewish
settlement, so the details of their participation in self-government are analyzed. The problem
of the Jews’ participation in urbanization and modernization of the Southern Ukraine region is
studied taken separately. Demographic changes in a part of Jewish population and in regard to
their correlation in municipal councils are also characterized. The conclusions are made
concerning the role of the Jews in urbanization of the Southern Ukraine region and their
activity in municipal self-government.